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Forget #pumpkinspice, these are our fall favorites

From secret recipes and Seeing sunlight dance across brown and gold leaves, hosting a tailgate party with cider and friends, bobbing for apples or taking a hayride with horses — these are a few fall favorites that involve #noartificialcolors

STAUNTON — From secret recipes and delightful fare to enjoying nature and celebrations, fall is a special time of the year for people. Like bobbing for apples, hosting tailgate parties or taking a hayride with horses, it is a time for family outings and last-minute activities as people cram everything in before the snow and cold settles in the area.

Keeping traditions

Mac Erskine jogged through an empty downtown parking lot hoping to avoid a throng of people near the edge of the Wharf. His faithful companion, Kobe, kept pace beside him.

This time of year is perfect for runners, said Erskine, 22.

“It’s not too hot and not too cold – yet,” he said with a smile.

Kobe, a black lab mixed with a golden retriever, stood patiently as his owner paused to talk about his fall favorites.

Erskine said he is a Baltimore Ravens fan and spends his time in the fall watching football with his dad.

“We watch the game together most Sundays and we always have oysters wrapped in bacon,” he said. “It’s a little old tradition we have when we watch football together.”

Making memories

The Cline family also has a favorite fall tradition – they head to the mountains to pick apples and pumpkins and shop in Staunton. In the summer, the family heads to the coast to enjoy the ocean and water, but in the fall they head inland.

“Right about when the leaves turn then we come up here,” said Willie Cline, 37, of Richmond.

Loaded with treasures from their shopping, the family was walking in downtown Staunton, late Saturday afternoon.

“Fall to me means buying scarves, boots and stuff like that,” said Kaitlyn Cline, 15. “Oh, and chili. Definitely chili. I like it thick with beans, sour cream and cheese.”

Her mother, Jennifer Cline, 36, said the family’s whole menu changes in the fall.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese, ham and beans, and lots of chili are some of their favorites.

“We don’t cook those in the summer – it’s no good then,” Jennifer Cline said. “And you have to put Dr. Pepper and beer in the chili and cook it for a long time to make it taste good.”

Fall flavors

Across town, John Matheny, dipped an apple slice in a golden liquid, before slicing off a sliver.

The secret ingredients in the liquid were part of a new pickled apple, toasted pecan and blue cheese salad dish created especially for the fall.

“We aren’t real big fans of pumpkin here, Matheny said. “So we substitute butternut squash for it instead. You get the fall flavor and spice it like you would a pumpkin.”

There is butternut squash cheesecake, butternut squash and apple soup and a number of other delightful dishes cooked up behind the wooden divider that separates the kitchen from a dining area.

“People tend to go for heavier and hotter things in the fall,” said Gillian Ritter, who calls herself a pastry experimentalist. “They like to indulge a little more and be comforted because summer is gone and winter is coming.”

Butternut squash cheesecake is one of many fall dishes served at Nu-Beginning Farm, The Store, 240 N. Central Ave., Staunton.(Photo: Traci Moyer)

Outings and holidays

Eli Walker, 41, is one of the people who misses the warm summer months when fall arrives.

Dressed in a pair of shorts and flip flops, Eli Walker said he was taking advantage of the weather on Saturday.

“I want to enjoy every last bit of it before the weather changes,” he said.

Making his way toward the music playing in downtown Staunton, Walker and his son, Leo Walker, 11, spent the afternoon enjoying the sun and mild temperatures.

“I like to drive through the country to see all the colors this time of the year,” Eli Walker said as he wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders.

Father and son also enjoy hiking through the countryside. Some of his favorite locations in the area include Crabtree Falls and St. Mary’s Falls.

“I like getting out and hitting the trails around this time of the year,” Eli Walker said.

Leo Walker was more reserved, hanging back slightly and smiling as his father talked about the season.

“You like the fall more for Halloween and all the candy, though, don’t you?” his father asked rumpling his son’s hair.

Leo Walker nodded.

“And caramel apples,” Leo Walker said.

Eli Walker, 41, and his son, Leo Walker, 11, love to hike and go for drives in the fall.(Photo: Traci Moyer)

Strolling through the park

A number of people spent Saturday at Gypsy Hill Park playing on swings with small children and walking or running beneath a canopy of falling leaves. Lindsey Woodworth of Waynesboro was carrying a large yellow leaf as she strolled around the park. Her son, Fisher Woodworth, 6, dashed away ahead of her. He had a nearly perfect green leaf that matched his mother’s in his hand.

Lindsey Woodworth said she likes to attend festivals in the fall and walk in the park when the trees are changing colors. She was considering pressing the leaves they found when they got home.

“I don’t know, but if I do, they will be really big ones,” she said with a laugh.

Lindsey Woodworth and her son Fisher Woodworth stroll through Gypsy Hill Park with a friend.(Photo: Traci Moyer)

Falling leaves

Chuck and Jennifer Boone were enjoying their motorcycles on Saturday. The couple paused to talk about their favorite fall activities before meeting friends in downtown Staunton.

Chuck Boone, 59, said he likes to carve pumpkins for Halloween, but the best part about fall for him is taking scenic rides on his bike to witness the beauty created by God through the changing color of leaves.

Jennifer Boone, 58, is also a fan of the leaves, but she is more interested in raking them than looking at them.

“My favorite is jumping in leaf piles,” she said with a smile. “It’s what you did as a kid in the fall – rake up a bunch of them and jump in them.”

Not far from the Boones, the Kessingers were cleaning up beneath a park shelter as they fixed a plate of fried chicken, slaw and sides.

Jeff Kessinger, 37, of Staunton, said he likes to attend local high school football games in the fall and while he isn’t a fan of raking leaves, he does enjoy playing in them.

“And I like bonfires and roasting s’mores,” he said.

Dorothy Kessinger, 35, was dressed in a long flowing gown said the fall has always been a special time of the year for her, with family birthdays and special events.

But now, the season is even more special for the couple.

They took their marriage vows beneath the golden trees at Gypsy Hill Park on Saturday.

Putting his arm around her waist, Jeff Kessinger gave his new bride a kiss, causing her to smile and laugh.

Jeff and Dorothy Kessinger both enjoy fall activities like football and bonfires, but the season is now an anniversary for the couple. They were married on Saturday in Gypsy Hill Park, surrounded by brightly falling leaves.(Photo: Traci Moyer)